Riga Choir Month 2007

by Ms Agita Ikauniece

Supporting national art is one of the priorities of the Department of Culture of the City Council. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the National Song and Dance Festival has been the central cultural event in Riga since 1873.

As an essential part of the National Song and Dance Festival, the Riga Choir Month is held each year and its main objectives are the following:

• to provide acquirement of entire repertoire of the National Song and Dance Festival in time;
• to gather information about quantitative structure and level of choirs;
• to encourage choirs of Riga for a more arduous participation in the creation of the Festival and the related events.

Within the National Song and Dance Festival 2008, the Ave Sol organisation of the Department of Culture of the City Council is organising Riga Choir Month 2007 or "Quarterfinals of Synchronous Singing". 13 choral concerts with 95 choirs from Riga participating are held within this event. The concert of all choirs singing together on the embankment of the Daugava River makes the final.

Since 2006, the Ave Sol has been "dressing" the Riga Choir Month in a sporty uniforms, hoping that this would inspire conductors and singers of choirs to prepare attractive performances to participate in this singing competition. Performance of choirs is evaluated by a professional and not less sportive and attractive jury. Choirs perform in the 13 concerts divided by groups - minority nationalities, seniors, women and men, as well as several mixed chorus groups. Each group enters concerts with a special sportive name created for this event. Sportive spirit and festive atmosphere link the singing events of the Riga Choir Month.